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Playing with earplugs.


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Lately I've been rehearsing with earplugs to help conserve my ears for all the recording and mixing projects I've been doing lately (actually right now I don't often have a chance to rehearse because I'm so overloaded), but I've noticed that while I wear earplugs I just can't seem to get into playing. My tone doesn't drive me to play, and our dynamics get capped off a bit. Does this happen to everyone? Any other solutions? Playing without 'em is a no-no - my ears ring for 8 hours afterward.
No matter how good something is, there will always be someone blasting away on a forum somewhere about how much they hate it.
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You might want to look into some high quality earplugs. The kind that attenuate the volume but retain the frequency response. My brother uses them because he developed tinnitus from playing at loud volume for many years. Yes, there is a hidden message there. :D

Mac Bowne

G-Clef Acoustics Ltd.

Osaka, Japan

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While in the confines of the rehearsal space, this is not a bad idea, and good plugs will give you a better feel for what's going on. However, very few things p*ss me off more as a (sometimes still) live engineer than a too loud on stage band wearing earplugs. Bottom line: get the right gear and play at a reasonable volume.

Hope this is helpful.

 

NP Recording Studios

Analog approach to digital recording.

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[quote]Originally posted by where02190: [b]While in the confines of the rehearsal space, this is not a bad idea, and good plugs will give you a better feel for what's going on. However, very few things p*ss me off more as a (sometimes still) live engineer than a too loud on stage band wearing earplugs. Bottom line: get the right gear and play at a reasonable volume.[/b][/quote]I NEVER wear earplugs for perfomances. I do have the better earplugs that maintain most HF and just reduce level 6dB. They're nice, but my tone is just not quite there with the plugs in - so I find myself not motivated by what I'm hearing. We don't play super loud, but in our small space, the cymbals kill my ears.
No matter how good something is, there will always be someone blasting away on a forum somewhere about how much they hate it.
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Somehow, I've managed to learn to play live with earplugs and like it. I find them to be 'The Great Equalizer', in that they (for me, anyway) put everything on an even level, and I can concentrate on what I'm doing, and not how horribly loud someone is. They really force me to listen, listen to different areas of the spectrum, to other players, to watch the others a little bit more than I normally do (which is a lot...I'm usually tracking SOMEONE's every move). They make me aware of MY volume, as well, and teach me to compensate accordingly. Overall, I find them to be a great help. And I'm a drummer.
I've upped my standards; now, up yours.
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Hi, a few weeks ago i posted a message almost identical to yours and the replies i got were of great help. i haven't had the chance to buy new earplugs yet, although now i know exactly where to go. I'm serious, i strongly believe that Etymotic Research can do something for you. They sell their standard model called the ER 20 earplugs at [url=http://www.musiciansfriend.com]www.musiciansfriend.com[/url] (which will attenuate 20dbs of your sound) while not killing the high frequencies (responsible for clarity, definition and brightnes of the sound). I was also told that they make CUSTOM ear plug filters. Ok, this is waaay more expensive. You would have to take an impression of your ears, send to an ear lab where they will make a silicon mold and finally attach an atenuator filter of either ( 9, 15 or 25 db). I presume you will end up spending 120-180 bucks. So do yourself a favor, try the ER 20's first cuz they cost only $9.99 and they seem to kick ass!
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I have some, actually, and some that are a little more expensive. Both work okay, but still cut off a bit of top.
No matter how good something is, there will always be someone blasting away on a forum somewhere about how much they hate it.
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At the very least, use the ER 20's in rehearsal. However, you should go to an OTR guy & get the audiology done. (Please!) Ear damage is a cumulative thing, & after years of R&R hearing abuse, a single loud situation can permanently trash your hearing (where someone who hadn't chronically abused their hearing would simply wake up with their ears ringing for a few hours). (Take it from me; I live with a 3 db midrange dip in my left ear, from a single soundcheck 8 yrs ago! And not even my band! :mad: HearNet has some good general info on their site: [url=http://www.hearnet.com/index.shtml]HearNet[/url] Getting "musician's earplugs" custom-fitted at your ear doctor is going to set you back $125-150. (The exam is covered by your health ins., but not the plugs - although they ARE tax-deductible if the govt considers you a working musician.) It's money well spent, IMHO - much less disorienting than the cheaper earplugs mentioned above (not to mention the foam jobs!) - you can even buy swappable filters for different degrees of attenuation (so you could maybe use only ER-10 level for performances, for example.)
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I've approached this various ways. I have some tinnitus and surely some (my wife might say lots) hearing loss from a couple of jobs I did other than standing in front of loud amps. In practice, I use a pair of MSA protectors that look like headphones. They're easy to don and remove, unlike some earplugs. Not so stylish, though. I bought them at an industrial supply store. As a musician, I really want to protect what's left of my hearing, since it appears you get only so much. When using small engines like a lawnmower or (especially) a chainsaw, I wear the same ear muffs. I also recently bought a pair of "Work Tunes" by A. O. Safety. It's a walkman type radio built into a similar setup. The volume is limited so if you're using a really loud tool like a chainsaw, you won't hear much radio. My biggest concern during practice is when I sing, play trumpet or harmonica. The effect if wierd and disconcerting, especially with trumpet, so I kind of cock one of the ear muffs to the side to let in some sound. Playing guitar and keys is not a problem, though a bit less enjoyable. I have less of a problem in performance and do not use protection, as a bigger room dissapates the sound somewhat. I'd love to have some really good headphones that would seal out the volume and give good monitor. Koss TD-65's are the best I have found for this and are reasonably priced. I'm looking into the in-ear monitors, but don't know how much ambient protection they offer.

He not busy being born

Is busy dyin'.

 

...Bob Dylan

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I find that the foam ear plugs I wear at work did fine for listening to music there. In fact, I turn the music down at work to a low level (with the plugs in) so I can concentrate - - I still hear it clearly, but it isn't 'on top' and distracting. Anyway, once I take out the earplugs, I find that the ambient noise COMPLETELY swamps it out - it's completely masked by the noise. The noise is very broadband, with emphasis on the high end (it's from about 12 tons of air handling equipment 12 feet above my head, and hovers at about 84 dB SPL with C weighting (I snuck a level meter in, just to see). Thank God I was recently transferred to a new (and much quieter) lab... My point is that even el-cheapo plugs let the music through - - what I notice is the highs get attentuated big-time, the mids roll off somewhat, and the bass is pretty much unaffected. So the music does get through, but the sibilance, clash and clang do not (this is the stuff that will do the most damage to your hearing, coincidentally - when it goes, that's the first thing to disappear). So either way, you need to learn to play without having all the highs there - - either wear the plugs, or lose the ability to hear in that range; eventually it'll start sounding normal. I prefer using the plugs, because when I mix & master I DO want to hear what's there (as well as being able to hear when people speak to me)... When I record, though, as long as I can get a cue from the monitors or cans, it doesn't have to be perfect fidelity, it just has to be intelligible enough to play along with. Phil Koenig Tangent Studios
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How about learning to play at lower, safer volumes? Just because it's loud doesn't mean it's better.... Don't fool yourself by turning your amp down then having it cranked back at you through the wedges either. Everyone's hearing is precious. Those drunk girls(or guys) standing in front of your rig don't know about the dnagers of high SPL exposure. Be kind to everyone, and turn down!

Hope this is helpful.

 

NP Recording Studios

Analog approach to digital recording.

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